Planting bulbs for spring flower display easy

Perhaps no other garden activity is so identified with fall as the planting of spring-flowering bulbs. Fall bulb planting reaches the level of ritual with many serious gardeners. But for all their majesty, tulips, daffodils and other flower bulbs are among the easiest plants for beginners -- including children -- to grow successfully.

Las Vegans see pictures of bright, tall, spring-flowering bulbs that decorate gardens elsewhere. Gardeners who think those pictures are the closest Las Vegans can get to having tulips in their yards should think again. We can grow anemone, crocus, freesia, grape hyacinth, hyacinth, iris, lily, daffodils, ornamental onion ranunculus and tulips. They'll amaze you as they emerge next spring. All ingredients for success are packaged within the bulbs. All you do is plant them.

Here are some concerns gardeners have and solutions to be successful in planting bulbs:

Concern: It's too late to plant bulbs.

Solution: Plant bulbs soon, because earlier plantings get more root development for larger spring blooms.

Concern: Bulbs need plenty of sunlight.

Solution: The more sun bulbs receive, the more flowers they'll yield. If you have deciduous trees, bulbs will most likely be through blooming before the trees leaf out.

Concern: It's hard to know which bulbs to purchase.

Solution: If you've bought onions, you know about buying bulbs (onions are bulbs, after all). Go for the firm bulbs. Leave soft, moldy or mushy ones on the nursery shelf. This is one time when the biggest bulbs are best, since they have more food reserve to produce larger blooms. Also, select multipointed daffodils for more flowers next spring. Your best bets are bulbs loose in bins for you to handpick.

Concern: Beginners feel they don't know enough about bulbs to care for them correctly.

Solution: Nurseries give away charts describing planting depths, plant heights and flowering times.

Concern: Tulips and hyacinths need chilling to produce quality flowers.

Solution: Purchase prechilled tulips and hyacinths or put bulbs in ventilated bags and refrigerate for four to six weeks to produce long stems.

Concern: Planting the bulbs for the best display.

Solution: The biggest mistake novice gardeners make is planting bulbs as "single soldiers" either in lines along walkways or borders, or just spotty throughout a bed. To get maximum color impact, cluster your bulbs. This is true whether you plant 10 or 10,000.

Here are two design solutions: Plant bulbs in groupings to achieve a charming bouquet effect, or lay out in a triangle pattern to fool the eye into seeing more flowers than you actually planted. To do this, position bulbs in a triangle pattern in which the narrow point faces your favorite viewing position and position the broad expanse toward the back. The visual result is an enhanced mass of color.

Concern: Exposing bulbs to too much sun.

Solution: Protect bulbs while waiting to plant. Sun-drenched bulbs result in fewer blooms.

Concern: Gardeners don't want to use chemical fertilizers.

Solution: Bone meal is the standard organic bulb fertilizer. It provides phosphorus that bulbs need for root growth and longevity. Work bone meal into the soil before planting bulbs.

Concern: Gardeners do not feed bulbs enough.

Solution: Research finds nitrogen applied to plants as they emerge improves plant size and bloom color. Bulbs lacking nitrogen lead to fewer and smaller offspring next year, and that carries on into subsequent years. Use blood meal as your source of organic nitrogen.

Concern: Las Vegas soils are so hard, nothing grows.

Solution: The trick to growing bulbs is to prepare the soil before planting. Organic matter opens the soil to feed the underground bulbs and fuels spring growth and flowers. Also, the soil must drain. Otherwise, bulbs rot before the plants emerge.

Concern: Bulb beds are ugly.

Solution: Interplant annuals after planting bulbs for color through the winter until they bloom. Some favorites are Johnny-jump-ups, pansies and alyssum. Avoid removing foliage while still green, because it diminishes new bulb vigor. After the foliage browns, yank it out.

Concern: Not knowing which end of bulbs to place up when planting.

Solution: Plant the pointed side (stem end) up. You may see some shriveled roots on the flatter side. Don't worry, bulbs will figure out which way to grow sooner or later.

Linn Mills writes a garden column each Sunday. You can reach him at linn.mills@springspreserve.org or call him at 822-7754.